Is there REALLY some "Reserve Fuel" in the car or is that just the terminology that is applied to the last 1/8 tank of gas as some kind of warning phrase. It doesn't seem to me to be "Reserve" fuel if it is part of the normal tank of gas which would normally be used anyway... Its just "Low Fuel"

 

Just terminology. Usually the fuel gage sender is calibrated so that it will read empty before the tank is actually dry.

 

In my e320 cdi, the reserve fuel light comes on when I have under 3 gallons left

 

usually with all MB's, the reserve light comes on when there is 2.1 gallons of fuel left...so figure if you get 20mpg, you can go about 25-40 miles before really running dry.

kinda off topic but funny did anyone see the ep. of Seinfeld where Kramer test drove the Saab and went past the empty on the fuel gauge for 265 miles??? he was like "it's a gimmick to get people to spend more money on gas faster than they really need to" :p

 

I think that the term "reserve fuel" is left over from the old days when there actually was a separate reserve tank (or compartment of the tank) and you had to manually throw a valve lever to change from the main to reserve tank. Then, you had to remember to change it back when you filled up.

 

Yeah, that's what I figured...It really is a "Low Fuel" light. The other day, I let it go so long, I stopped for gas & put in 17.4 gallons. Probably waited a little too long!

 

Maybe off topic... but does your W211 give you any kind of notification sound when the low fuel warning pops up?

I recently found out that instead of giving me a loud "bing"... the message just sneaked into my instrument. Since I was enjoying my ride I was NOT looking at the instrument - don't know how long the message has been there.

 

Have never heard a chime, just the light & a red warning in the speedo. I usually fill the tank when it is between 1/2 & 3/4 empty though.

 

The message readout in the speedo goes red and says reserve fuel

 

I was baffled by the Reserve Fuel message as well, my few days of owning the car.

 

Ok, this is what I found out by myself!

I just hoped to hear a chime since this message is kind of important. While I wasn't looking at the speedo - just enjoying the ride - I didn't notice it. Maybe it is a shame to show "reserve fuel" so DC thinks better not to draw too much attention - customers might think this car uses too much fuel.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the w211 have a 21 gallon (80 liter) tank?

 

I'll check the capacities chart tonight.

BTW, since the "wallet" (Briefcase) that contains all of the manuals is so large, where do you keep all of the manuals? Somewhere in the car? At home? Are all the booklets kept together?

 

I keep mine in the truck rear on the right behind the net that comes with the car... When I picked up my car it was in my glovebox and even after I took it out it wouldn't close properly for days..

 

I keep mine in the custom sized slot in the rear armrest.

 

Rear armrest sounds right on! Will check the fit tonight. I can't think of anything else that would or should be kept in there. It does belong in the car, but putting it in the glove compartment sort of fills it up to capacity. Do you give your dealer the booklet to record his routine service items or do you just file the work orders/receipts if needed?

 

Yep.

By the way, I heard that it is not good to run your car on really low fuel because many of the contaminants settle to the bottom of the tank and when you run low you start sucking them in...

 

Youare right, but the car only has 6,000 mi on the clock. I would usually NEVER run that low. It was a combination of being late, not wanting to buy the particular brand of gas I was right near, etc...

 

Correct, 21 us gallons

 

Man I remember when we had the lever in the old VW Bug. This thing is just a warning but the old days were a lot of fun !

 

FYI.

I let my w211 run down on fuel until the [Range] indicator read a consistent 0 miles (without fluctuations when idling or cruising).

The fuel indicator light had been on since Sunday night, and the [Reserve Fuel] message appeared every time I started the car.

I drove the car to and from my office, approx. 25 miles roundtrip (combination of freeway, rush hour, and city driving); to my evening volleyball game, approx. 4 miles roundtrip; and then to re-fuel this morning, 1/4 of a mile.

19.833 gallons to refill - still had 1.167 gallons left, that's an extra 13-24 miles.

Now, of course, your results may be different.

 

From my Owner's Manual (Edition 11, 10/04), page 463: approximately 8–9 litres.

 

i had a Honda motorcycle like that in the 70’s

 

Yes, old VW beetles, BMW motorcycles.

things were tough in Germany post war and a reserve switch meant you didn’t need a fuel gauge. On the motorcycles at least, the speedo included a trip meter you reset to zero whenever you refueled. You knew your mileage range.

 

is possible to show for example , range 10km ?